KAILUA-KONA — They may not go to the same school, but Hawaii Preparatory Academy junior Javan Perez and Kohala High School freshman O’Shen Cazimero have shared a strong bond since they were keiki.
The pair grew up playing basketball together in Kohala, forming a lasting friendship. That friendship has become a friendly rivalry, one that peaked in February’s BIIF Division II championship game.
The two Kohala natives were given the task of guarding each other in the title tilt, with Perez’s Ka Makani outlasting Cazimero’s Cowboys 78-58.
“Defending against O’Shen in the championship wasn’t easy,” said Perez, who allowed 23 hard-earned points to his friend. “I expected him to ball out. He is a shifty guard and I did my best to stop him.”
Cazimero may have outscored Perez on the evening, but most of his points came from the outside as he struggled to find a way around Perez, who netted 13 points.
“Javan is a really good defender, with quick feet, and he reads passes really well,” Cazimero said. “It was really difficult to push past him.”
That defense led Hawaii Prep to its second consecutive title.
“It is a scary task to go up against O’Shen but I had a lot of confidence in Javan,” said Hawaii Prep head coach Fred Wawner. “He was able to clog the lanes and make O’Shen shoot over him. We needed him that night.”
Both Cazimero and Perez had great seasons, which makes the question of who deserves All-BIIF Player of the Year honors so much more difficult. How is it possible to compare a shutdown defensive player to an offensive juggernaut?
Well, according to coaches around the league, West Hawaii Today and Hawaii Tribune-Herald, it can’t be done. That is why Cazimero and Perez will share the honor of POY on the 2018-19 All-BIIF Division II Boys Basketball Team.
“O’Shen and I go way back. We were on the same team for eight or nine years so it is really cool to share this honor with him,” Perez said.
“Javan is like family and it was really cool to play against him,” Cazimero added. “He was always the person I would go to on the floor when we played with each other, so it is nice that we get to share this honor as well.”
Perez and HPA
Perez helped lead Ka Makani to a spectacular season, along with First Team teammates Valentinas Ulinas and KJ Walker. Hawaii Prep went undefeated during BIIF play and won 14 straight games, which includes a state quarterfinal victory over University Lab.
“This was a really fun year with a great group of kids who really cared about each other and cared about the process of getting better,” Wawner said. “They took the season seriously, but not too seriously, and showed great passion, representing the school with pride.”
Perez knew what his role was heading into the season. Defense first, and then scoring if needed.
“Javan accepted his role and really personified what the team wanted to be in terms of toughness,” Wawner said. “He had all the intangibles and a level of confidence that allowed him to shut anyone down.”
Thanks to the effort of Perez and his teammates, Ka Makani was able to make the HHSAA tournament and then win the team’s first state game since 2014. HPA lost to Farrington in the semifinals but then beat Seabury Hall 48-34 to claim third place.
“This has been a three year progress and we have shown a lot of improvement,” Perez said. “We may not have gotten to where we wanted to be but we finished the season on a good note with the win over Seabury.”
Along with Perez, Ulinas and Walker were also key to picking up another BIIF title and the state quarterfinal victory.
Ulinas, a 6-foot-5 junior, showed a lot of improvement over the season and had many explosive games, including a 26-point, 13-rebound performance in the BIIF title game.
“A lot of people think Val just walked out on the court and he was good,” Wawner said. “But we know how much work he put into this season and how much he improved. He has developed into a better passer and rebounder, and he is a great teammate.”
Walker, a sophomore, was the floor general for Ka Makani and stepped up when the team needed him most.
“When I look back through the season, every pivotal moment in each game, he seemed to be the one taking charge,” Wawner said. “This was the first year he had the ball in his hands full time and he accepted that challenge. His calmness in tough situations, even when I was yelling at him or the team, that really kept everyone focused.”
Cazimero and Kohala
The Cowboys, despite coming up short of a league title, had a fantastic year, which only included three BIIF losses, one to Waiakea and a pair to Hawaii Prep.
Cazimero, who scored more than 20 points in each of the BIIF tournament games, helped lead Kohala to a state berth and first round match with Damien.
“States was a good experience for our team and the players in general,” Cazimero said. “This was a fun freshman year and Coach Don (Fernandez) really pushed us hard. That really helped us, especially with our conditioning.”
The Cowboys lost to Damien before falling to Kaiser in the consolation bracket.
With an 11-3 league record and a state berth, Fernandez earned Coach of the Year honors on the All-BIIF squad. However, the Cowboys coach is not a lover of individual awards. With a team-first mentality, he did not hand out any individual awards at the team banquet.
“Every award, every honor is about the team,” Fernandez said. “All the players, all my great coaches, they are the ones who make this team what it is. They are the ones who make the team better, and I could not do anything without them.”